Three Chinese taikonauts, who jointly carried out China's historic maiden space walk, arrived in Hong Kong on Friday morning, starting a four-day visit to the Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Upon their arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, three taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng and dozens of other members of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft were greeted by Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSAR government Henry Tang and Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-shing.

The taikonauts, or Chinese astronauts, were also welcomed by Gao Siren, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong Lu Xinhua and Commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison Troops in Hong Kong Zhang Shibo and Commissar Liu Liangkai.

During their four-day visit to the city, three taikonauts are expected to meet with local citizens in a series of welcoming activities held by the HKSAR government and attend a university forum on the historic space walk.

China successfully put Zhai Zhigang into outer space for 20 minutes this September with the Shenzhou VII spacecraft, which means "divine vessels" in English.

(Xinhua News agency December 5, 2008)